(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a copper-based catalyst for preparing 1,2-propanediol, wherein copper as an active metal is supported on a complex metal oxide structure having mesopores and macropores at the same time, a method for preparing the copper-based catalyst, and method for selectively preparing 1,2-propanediol from dehydration and hydrogenation of glycerol using the copper-based catalyst.
(b) Background Art
1,2-Propanediol is a compound used as raw materials and intermediates of various chemical products such as antifreezes, surfactants, synthetic resins, etc. In general, the 1,2-propanediol is prepared from glycerol which is obtained as a byproduct in the production process of biodiesel.
Glycerol is one of the byproducts obtained during biodiesel production and, at present, it is used as raw materials of cosmetics, soaps, etc. Recently, the production of biodiesel as environment-friendly alternative energy is increasing rapidly. Consequently, its byproduct glycerol is also produced in larger quantities than its demand. Therefore, research has been actively carried out on the synthesis of valuable 1,2-propanediol using the glycerol produced as the industrial byproduct.
The catalytic reactions for synthesizing 1,2-propanediol from glycerol known thus far are as follows.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-266234 (patent document 1) discloses a method of preparing 1,2-propanediol from dehydration and hydrogenation of glycerol by adding the cation exchange resin Amberlyst® 15 and Amberlyst® 70 to a catalyst in which ruthenium is impregnated in activated carbon. Here, the amount of the cation exchange resin is twice as many as the catalyst.
US Patent Publication No. 2010-0312024 (patent document 2) discloses a method of preparing 1,2-propanediol from glycerol in the presence of a catalyst prepared by mixing copper oxide with a metal oxide such as zinc oxide at a specific ratio.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-283175 (patent document 3) discloses a method of preparing 1,2-propanediol from glycerol in the presence of a catalyst prepared by impregnating ruthenium in a basic metal oxide (e.g., MgO, ZrO2, etc.).
Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0116480 (patent document 4) discloses a method of preparing 1,2-propanediol from glycerol using a catalyst wherein the noble metal ruthenium as a group VIIIB element is supported on a hydrotalcite-like support in which group IIA and group IIB metal elements are coprecipitated.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-188390 (patent document 5) discloses a method of preparing 1,2-propanediol from glycerol using a catalyst prepared by reducing hydrotalcite containing a divalent metal element and a trivalent metal element.
The present invention provides a novel copper-based supported catalyst which exhibits high catalytic activity for dehydration and hydrogenation of glycerol, wherein copper as an active metal is highly dispersed and supported on a complex metal oxide structure having mesopores and macropores at the same time as a support.